Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 374: It’s not a dream

Lila Harper’s Home.

Ethan put away his phone, which had already been hung up.

But his expression still showed a hint of lingering excitement.

Even without the phone, he could clearly feel the twisted, heavy atmosphere.

For Ethan, watching the drama between teenage girls was like the best kind of theater.

In fact, he felt a little disappointed. If only they hadn’t switched places—being able to watch the drama unfold up close would’ve been even more entertaining.

At this moment, Ethan’s mindset was purely that of a bystander enjoying the chaos. He didn’t realize that maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t as ready for the drama as he thought.

Just then, Ethan noticed Ivy stumbling into the living room, half-asleep.

The scene was almost a repeat of the first day.

But this time, her reaction was different. She froze for a second when she saw him, then her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, “Super Sister!”

Was that supposed to be some kind of Super Saiyan reference?

Ethan couldn’t help but chuckle. Then, seeing Ivy excitedly and affectionately running toward him, he instinctively bent down and caught her in his arms.

“It’s time for breakfast, Ivy. You should go brush your teeth and wash your face.”

“Then you carry me there, Sister!” Ivy whined playfully.

Her behavior reminded him of his own little sister when she was younger.

So, Ethan actually carried her to the bathroom, filled the sink with warm water, squeezed out some toothpaste, and waited for her to finish brushing. Afterward, he gently wiped her face with a warm towel.

He did all of this instinctively, without a hint of awkwardness.

After all, he had taken care of Blair since she was little.

Ivy, on the other hand, was completely amazed by this gentle treatment. She had never experienced anything like it before, and a thought popped into her head: Wow, having a kind and capable big sister is awesome!

After that, Ivy obediently ran back to her room to change clothes.

As Ethan walked out of the bathroom, he bumped into Margaret, Lila’s mother, who was just passing by.

The moment she saw him, she froze in her tracks.

Then, visibly flustered, she tried to turn around and leave.

But Ethan quickly stepped forward and grabbed her arm.

Margaret’s body stiffened. She leaned against the wall, and her daughter’s hands were now on either side of her, blocking any escape.

Being kabedon-ed by her own daughter, Lila’s mom blushed instantly, forcing an awkward smile.

“L-Lila?”

Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, “Mom, why were you trying to run away when you saw me?”

“Uh, well…” Margaret scrambled to come up with an excuse.

“I-I was going to wake up your dad.”

Ethan gave her a once-over and asked, “But you look really nervous, Mom.”

“Do I? Haha…”

In that moment, Ethan could almost see Lila’s forced smile meme flash before his eyes. Like mother, like daughter.

But he didn’t push Lila’s mom too hard. He just asked her to go wake up Lila’s dad for breakfast.

Soon, the four of them were sitting at the table again.

The scene wasn’t too different from last time—everyone was enjoying the breakfast Ethan had prepared.

Thomas sighed, “I never thought I’d get to eat a French breakfast at home. It’s like having Cinderella in the house. Lila, your cooking is really amazing.”

Ethan smiled and asked, “So, Dad, do you think my cooking is better, or Mom’s?”

“Uh…”

Thomas froze. He didn’t seem to know how to answer that.

“Yeah, Thomas~,” Margaret chimed in with a smile, “I’d love to know too.”

Even though she knew her daughter’s cooking was better, she was more interested in her husband’s response.

Thomas started sweating nervously and quickly changed the subject.

“Li… Lila, don’t you have anything else you want to say to your mom and dad? Like maybe explain the changes you’ve been going through?”

That question hit the mark. Not only did Margaret turn to look at him, but even Ivy’s eyes were now fixed on him.

In response, Ethan gently ruffled his little sister’s hair and then, with a serious expression, addressed the Harper couple:

“Do you two still see me as your daughter?”

Ivy was the first to answer, without a moment’s hesitation:

“Whether it’s the shy sister or the cool sister, you’re still Ivy’s sister!”

Her attitude pretty much reflected what the Harper couple would eventually feel. Though they hesitated for a brief moment, they ultimately nodded in agreement.

Ethan smiled and said,

“Well, if that’s the case, then there’s no problem, right?”

Hearing this, the Harpers seemed to be deep in thought. It really did make sense.

With the family issue resolved, Ethan tidied up and headed out.

Convincing the Harpers wasn’t difficult. All he had to do was make them believe that the changes in their daughter were positive and for the better.

To help with that, Ethan had even used a few props.

Even after he had left for a while, Thomas and Margaret were still sitting on the couch in the living room.

Both of them were staring at a stack of cash on the coffee table.

It was the money Lila had just handed them, saying it was payment from her last performance. She’d told them that since Dad worked so hard and Mom took care of the house, they should use the money to treat themselves and relax.

The fact that their daughter, who was only in 9th grade, could suddenly pull out such a large sum of money—and had turned into such a thoughtful, caring child—was more shocking than when they first noticed the changes in her.

“Is this all just a dream?”

Thomas absentmindedly reached out and tugged at his wife’s cheek.

Margaret, snapping out of her daze, instinctively slapped him in return.

“It’s not a dream.”

She looked at her hand, as if coming to some realization, and then sighed,

“This is unbelievable.”

Thomas didn’t seem to mind the slap at all. He just held his face and asked,

“But who exactly is this Dawnheart?”

Earlier, their daughter had told them that if they wanted to thank someone, they should thank Dawnheart.

————–

Outside Westbrook Academy.

Ethan happened to run into Vanessa.

She was coming from his house, and judging by her expression, it seemed like she had run into Sophia, which had left her in a bit of a sour mood.

But just as Ethan greeted her and was about to ask what was wrong, Vanessa noticed him. Her gloomy expression visibly vanished, replaced by a bright, cheerful demeanor, as if a cloud had lifted and the sun had come out.

Ethan was momentarily stunned. Is Vanessa really this happy to see me?

If Sophia saw this change, she’d probably burst into tears.

Vanessa walked up to Ethan, gave him a thorough once-over, and then smiled knowingly.

“Today, you’re shining like a little bunny, aren’t you?”

Ethan heard the playful tone in her voice and responded with a similarly knowing smile.

“Oh? Looks like the other me has already told you something.”

Lila really doesn’t hold back, huh? She even admitted to being a bit crazy.